Meaning
just; as soon as
- just, recently
- as soon as
- barely, hardly
In a sentence
Ho appena finito di mangiare.
I just finished eating.
Appena arrivi, chiamami subito.
As soon as you arrive, call me right away.
C'è appena spazio per due persone?
Is there barely enough room for two people?
Usage notes
- Use 'appena' for 'just' in time contexts (e.g., 'I just arrived'). For 'only/just' in quantity, use 'solo' or 'solamente'.
- Avoid overusing 'appena' for 'barely/hardly'—'a malapena' is more natural in many cases.
- 'Appena' + present indicative = 'as soon as' (e.g., 'Appena arrivo, ti chiamo'). No subjunctive needed here.